Footnotes: Frustrating or Fascinating?

In the public library world, it never rains - it completely inundates and then floods your basement. The last few fictional books I have read have all used the same literary device. Footnotes. After the second book that included footnotes, I went to the internet to reacquaint myself with the fine art of footnoting. I discovered some interesting things [1], including the fact that 'modern literary style guides' recommend limiting use of them, since they are widely thought to be distracting. I myself have mixed feelings about footnotes. In some cases I have enjoyed them, laughing over references the authors have invented or quips the authors make in the margins. Other times I find footnotes to be an annoying distraction from the normal flow of reading. There are authors who do not do footnotes well and then authors who really make them into a unique and fun reading experience. Here are three examples of the latter for your reading enjoyment.

 The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Nathaniel is a magician’s apprentice that is just beginning his magical education. Before Nathaniel can get too far, an older, more experienced and very nasty magician named Simon Lovelace humiliates him in front of his teachers. Determined to get revenge, Nathaniel summons a djinni named Bartimaeus and sends him to steal a powerful artifact from Lovelace. Chaos ensues as Nathaniel attempts to control the powerful djinni and win back his honor. The real gift in this book is Bartimaeus himself, both to the reader and to Nathaniel. The djinni’s wisecracks and hilarious side comments make him the star of the show. Stroud uses footnotes to record Bartimaeus' asides, making the reader feel as though they are involved in a private conversation with a particularly funny main character. One of my colleagues also highly recommends this book in audio format [2], which she says is amazing for family road trips.

 Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

A plane full of Miss Teen Dream beauty contestants crash lands on a seemingly deserted island. The handful of girls who survive the crash anxiously await rescue. However, away from the cameras, pressures and watchful eyes of society, the girls who have always been defined by how well they perform in pageants finally get to explore who they are. Along the way, the teen beauties find out that the island is not in fact deserted and some of their fellow contestants are not...exactly...who they claim to be. There are explosions, feats of derring-do and (of course) scads of glitter. With the care of a master, Bray has built the world that created a Miss Team Dream contest, including references and explanations in footnotes throughout the story. I cannot even begin to describe how much I adored this book. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects was the 'applications' to the Miss Team Dream contest from the different characters. The reader not only gets to know the main characters better for it, but also realizes the forces (in the form of judges for the contest and the conflicting standards they press onto the characters) the girls are up against. Part comedy, part satire, this book can be enjoyed on a multitude of different levels. Also, if you want to get a look at the wonderful brand of crazy that is Libba Bray, take a look at her interview with herself (yup, a self-administered Q&A) on the Amazon page for this book.

 The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Inconceivable! There's an actual book that inspired the cult classic movie about 'twoo wuv' [3]? There is - and if you enjoyed (or loved) the movie I bet you'll enjoy the book as well. The humor that caused people to love the movie is present in the book in the form of footnotes the author makes as he "abridges" an earlier version by S. Morgenstern [4]. One of my favorite footnotes is the author relating a conversation between himself and his wife as to how much romance to include in a particular part of the book. The wife wants Golding to include details thank you very much and Golding objects and says not only do the readers not need to know how a romantic reunion plays out, the characters deserve a little privacy. You get the picture. Golding uses this literary device throughout the rest of the book to great success. The book provides the readers with the details that were not needed in the movie (how did Buttercup become the most beautiful woman in the world? Read and discover the answer). All of the adventure, romance and great characters are present in this work to be enjoyed at your own speed. Happy reading!


[1] I didn't know that one could use anything other than numbers for footnotes. Turns out you can - and there is even a specific order for them. Typographical devices such as the asterisk (*) or dagger (†) may also be used to point to footnotes; the traditional order of these symbols is *, †, ‡, §, ‖, ¶.
[2] I'm never sure what vocabulary to use here. When I say 'audio format', I am talking about books on CD (or tape), audio books, talking books, etc. Apparently the reader for this book is particularly hilarious.
[3] Twoo wuv = true love. You'll have to forgive me, this is a reference to the movie. The bishop that marries Buttercup and Prince Humperdinck has the most hilarious and unique way of speaking ever.
[4] No such earlier version of the work exists. S. Morgenstern is used as a pseudonym for William Golding.